A lofty place for authors, writers, and readers to connect! Articles and podcast about the craft and business of writing, publishing, and book marketing. A host site for virtual book tours. Much of the material here has been submitted by our readers.

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Monday, February 28, 2011

The cover of your book is not just an artistic rendering. It is a marketing piece and should give some idea of what the book is about. Special consideration needs to go in to the art and the overall design.

Many publishing companies offer template book covers that you can modify by substituting a stock photo or changing colors, but to me this important marketing piece needs to be personalized in order to be as effective as possible.

I love Hayley John's artwork! This high school student is such a joy to work within the creation of art for the cover of my two latest books. I sent her a couple of articles about empathy and a picture I found online to give her an idea of what the book was going to be about, and she conceptualized the girl on the cover of Whose Stuff Is This?

She also created the collage from the illustrations she did for several of the stories in my children's book, The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children.

I've asked Hayley to answer a few questions for those who are interested in her work.

YVONNE: How did you come up with the idea for the art cover for this book?
HAYLEY: I was given the general idea of a girl showing both happy and sad emotions and an example of what Yvonne wanted. At first I was considering putting the two emotions in different faces but I realized it might not display the right idea so I decided upon giving the girl tears and a smile to show her different emotions.

YVONNE: What programs did you use to create the piece?
HAYLEY: Originally the piece was done with colored pencils in my sketchbook. I then transferred the image to my computer were I used a photo editing program called GIMP to finish my creation.

YVONNE: How long does it take to create something like this?
HAYLEY: I spent about two hours on the original colored pencil part and about four more with the editing program.

YVONNE: Where are you studying art?
HAYLEY: I'm not taking any art classes right now.

YVONNE: Do you plan to continue your art studies after graduation?
HAYLEY: Yes I do. I love art and fully enjoy using my creativity. Everything artistic is my passion! Although I enjoy art too much to let it go, I want it to be more of a side job because of the inconsistency of the pay.

YVONNE: Are you available to other authors who need cover art for their books?
HAYLEY: YES! I would love to take more jobs for anyone interested! You may contact me at http://www.wix.com/hayleys_custom_art/ Thank you.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Yvonne Perry’s book, WHOSE STUFF IS THIS? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You, launches with a virtual book tour during the month of March.

NASHVILLE, TN February 20, 2010 — Anywhere there is a crowd of people, there is abundant energy, both positive and negative. Those who assist with victim protection, do police or detective work, have served in war zones, operate as healers, clergy members, or psychics, have careers at hospitals, clinics, or hospice centers deal with an overload of emotional energy. Many of them feel depleted, overwhelmed, nervous, depressed, or angry; they may feel as though someone is watching or following them; they may hear voices, see shadows, or have a difficult time finding mental or emotional peace. Many of these individuals know that something is not quite “normal” since not everyone is adversely affected by going into public and not everyone picks up on the thoughts, feelings, or pain of those around them to such a degree. They may not know they are carrying or attaching to someone else’s energy, but would love to stop the emotional, physical, and mental turmoil they encounter on a regular basis.

“Being a well-developed empathic or intuitive person does not mean you have to stop showing compassion. Quite the contrary,” writes Nashville author Yvonne Perry in her new book. “But an empath must begin to care for their own needs before they can learn to use their intuitive ability as a tool for guidance without paying a personal price.”

With a foreword and a chapter contributed by psychotherapist, Dr. Caron B. Goode, ED.D., NCC, DAPA, this book provides a fresh perspective on the psychological aspect of empathy and intuition.

Every sensitive person, regardless of how they come to interact with negative energy, could benefit from your book and learning how to detach and screen out the emotions and pain of others while remaining compassionate and effective as a healer or friend, mother, or coworker.” says Denise Demaras, an artist and holistic spiritual health counselor, who endorsed the book. “So many people don't understand how or even notice the effect that others have on their moods or health. Suddenly they are mean and cranky, sad or sick, every time they are in the company of a certain person.”

From February 28 through March 28, Yvonne plans to be a guest on more than twenty blogs where she will post helpful material. From how and why she wrote and published the book, to informative articles on empathy, intuition, spiritual/psychic gifts, and exercises to help energy-sensitive people clear and protect their auric fields, all visitors will read something new each day as they follow the tour from blog to blog. Audio clips, YouTube videos, written interviews, radio interviews, book excerpts, and media releases are also planned in the lineup. Yvonne will be available at each blog for readers to ask questions. See the tour schedule at http://tinyurl.com/EmpathTour.

About:

Yvonne is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics. For forty years she was enmeshed with the dogma of religion that her family and church leaders passed down to her. Before she had a label for her empathetic ability, she called herself a prayer warrior. While praying for others she took on their suffering until it severely challenged her emotional and physical well-being. Embracing a different path and belief system, she now openly uses the gift of empathy to help others heal their lives. See http://WhoseStuffIsThis.com for more information or purchase the book on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/EmpathAmazon.

Are you an empath picking up on the detrimental thoughts, emotions, and attitudes of others? This book is for those who carry energetic burdens that belong to someone else. With more than two dozen proven and effective ways to clear your energy field, this guide employs empowering, proactive techniques to manage your energy and recover from empathy fatigue. With a chapter on the psychology of empathy by Dr. Caron Goode, this book presents the personal story of how I found freedom as I developed my intuition and healed my mind, emotions, and body.

This online blog tour is open to the public and you are cordially invited to come along with me as I drop by more than twenty blogs between February 28 and March 28. At each stop, there will be different material to peruse such as video clips, question-and-answer interviews, links to radio interviews, book excerpts, media releases, and content-rich articles about the impact that begin too empathetic can have on energy-sensitive people. Topics include the following:

Authors Must Learn to Sell What They Write

Clearing Your Energy Field

Detaching Politely Before You Reach Your Limit

Empathic Babies, Children, and Teens

How I Published My Book on Empathy Fatigue

Identifying Your Own Energy

Setting Boundaries with People

Stories from an Empath

Why I Wrote a Book for Empaths

5 Steps for Developing Your Intuition

Characteristics of an Untrained Empath

Difference Between Empathy and Intuition, The

Excerpts from the book

Gift of Intuition Reveals a Sister’s Secret, The

Influence Ghosts Have Upon Human Emotions, The

Make the Voices Stop!

Psychology of Empathy, The

Question and Answer Interview with the Author

Temper Tantrums ~ An Opportunity to Teach Your Child How to Process Emotions

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Almost by definition, authors who decide to self-publish a book are new amateurs in the book world. Because of that, they often have expectations and reactions to books that aren’t conditioned by long-term exposure to “how the sausage is made.”

For instance, I just completed a large project that had to go back to editorial after the book had been laid out. Why let yourself in for that kind of added expense, you ask? Because the author considered the book too long. His perception was that people would not buy a book over 400 pages.

Where does this expectation come from? Most likely from the author’s own preferences, don’t you think? If you won’t buy a book over 400 pages because it puts you to sleep to think of reading the whole thing, then you might naturally assume that others feel the same way.

I’ve had the same request—to reduce the size or page count of a book after its been laid out—from people publishing business books. There, the perception is that busy business people will not buy books over 250 pages because, after all, they don’t have time for that. They’re busy, you’ve got to give them the message and get moving.

In fact, 9 of the top 10 best selling business books on Amazon are between 192 and 240 pages, considered the “sweet spot” for business books. Long enough to be taken seriously, short enough to appear to be a quick read, regardless of how many actual words are in the manuscript.

The Other Side of the Dilemma

Even more common is the author who is dismayed when she finds out the manuscript she’s labored over will set up very nicely to create a 160-page book.

What’s the matter with a 160-page book, you ask? Here are some of the things authors have said to me over the years:

 It’s not thick enough.

 The spine is very thin.

 It has no “heft” and doesn’t feel like a book.

 It won’t be taken seriously.

 It won’t be seen as being worth the price.

Of course, all the authors who said these things were really telling me about their own expectations about books. Since they have no experience publishing, marketing or selling books, these opinions are almost completely based on “gut feelings,” “instincts” or “what my friends said.”

Another Take on the Whole Matter

While there may be niches in which book length is a critical factor in the success of a book, they must be rare.

The length of the book and the way it’s presented, the entire “package” that makes up the book including the title, the cover graphics, the backstory used to sell the book, all should come from the work itself. The length of the book is not that important. What you want is a really good book that’s exactly as long as it needs to be.

One of the books that changed my life was Healing Back Pain by John Sarno, MD. In it, Dr. Sarno lays out his case for the cause of most of the back pain his patients experience. It’s a brilliant, focused, diagnostic piece of writing.

I mean diagnostic because, as Dr. Sarno says, there’s only one way to determine whether you can be helped by his method: if you believe his diagnosis. His book brilliantly creates the condition for this diagnosis in reading the book. In fact, the book is most effective as a tool if it’s given to people who are in pain when they are reading it.

But that’s beside the point. What I’m getting at is this: the whole exposition in the book takes 84 pages. Now, you can’t publish an 84-page paperback if you’re a major publisher, so it appears to an outsider that the editor on the project in concert with the author “fleshed out” the rest of the book with random essays on the mind-body problem in medicine and other material.

But it’s completely unnecessary, and the book would have been as good—better, in my mind—if it had been left with the simple, straightforward 84 pages that are the heart of the book.

On the other hand, a book can “go long” as far as it wants, as long as it keeps providing useful information, or keeps us interested. Long novels can be glorious, involving, don’t-want-it-to-end experiences. And nonfiction that’s compelling, interesting, informative can captivate for hundreds of pages. This requires some skill at writing, understanding your audience and having a good editor.

So why put our prejudices in charge of book production? Although we want to be guided by what others are doing in our genre, these guidelines are a lot looser than you might think. A quality book sets its own rules.

Let that book live its life. It deserves it.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, a book designer and blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Yvonne Perry will be a panelist for the Nashville Writers Meetup group to discuss the topic and field questions about "How to Use a Blog to Promote Your Book and Your Platform."

Saturday, February 26, 2011
3:00 PM
Where:
Way Solutions at CoLab - 230 4th Avenue North Suite 105, (Nashville TN) in CoLab space. This is between Church and Union, directly across the street from the Arcade. Parking is typically available on the street, but parking meters and garages do cost some money.

Learn from Scott McIntosh, Yvonne Perry, Lori Wescott, and Michael Turner how blogging can be used to promote your book and your platform.

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer, avid blogger, podcast host, public speaker, and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services http://writersinthesky.com/index.html . She is the author of THE SID SERIES--A COLLECTION OF HOLISTIC STORIES FOR CHILDRENhttp://thesidseries.com/ and MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: TRUE STORIES ABOUT DEATH, DYING, AND AFTERLIFEhttp://deathdyingafterlife.blogspot.com/. Yvonne recently released, WHOSE STUFF IS THIS?: FINDING FREEDOM FROM THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND ENERGY OF THOSE AROUND YOUhttp://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com, a book to help people who unknowingly carry the energetic burdens of others.
Connect with Yvonne on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonneperry .

Lori Wescott is a humorist for the MURFREESBORO NEWS PRESS and author of the humor blog, LORIPALOOZA: WHERE FUNNY ROCKS! Her work has also appeared in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: FAMILY MATTERS.
Follow her blog at http://www.Loripalooza.com , and connect with her on Twitter @LoriWescott

Michael Turner is the organizer of the Nashville Writers Meetup and the Nashville Grammar and Writing Meetup. His blog, ScholarshipMan, provides scholarship information to those who wish to go to college debt-free and advertises his book, THE S.E.C.R.E.T. METHOD TO WINNING THE SCHOLARSHIP GAME: 55 SECRETS FOR FINANCING YOUR COLLEGE EDUCATION AT LITTLE OR NO COST. See his blog, http://scholarshipman.blogspot.com/ and his book, http://bit.ly/8fiq6K .

We want to thank Jennifer Way for the donation of her space for our meeting.
Jennifer Way is the founder of Way Solutions, a hiring strategy company. They provide resources, tools and education to job seekers and companies to create the best hiring experience from both perspectives. Their services result in a higher quality workforce that costs less for the company and more career development opportunities for the individual.
More information about Way Solutions: http://www.waysolutions.com/

Friday, February 18, 2011

I am the type of person, admittedly annoying to some, who edits herself in any instance of communication. I proofread my text messages, amend comments I leave on Facebook pages, and sometimes even correct my own mental brainstorming. In my defense, though, I am never one to correct the grammatical errors I read from others. That is, unless they ask me to take up my actual or virtual red pen and transfer my obsession to their work.

I believe that every piece of writing shares the artistry of musical compositions. Its lyrics should have a rhythm and progression that seamlessly present a story to the readers. Every time I edit work for a client, whether it is a short blog post or a 350-page manuscript, I read each paragraph silently and also out loud. I engage all of my senses into producing the best possible work for the author who has trusted me to make his or her personal expression the strongest it can be.

Maybe you have spent weeks or even months reading and re-reading your book manuscript, admission essay for graduate school, article for a professional publication, or Website material. It may be time for a set of fresh eyes to catch the small mistakes and maybe help make your phrasing or dialogue more effective and professional.

You could just need a copy edit, through which I correct errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics and make notes where there may be a better word choice or a cleaner transition. Or, perhaps a developmental edit can benefit you. In this instance, I will offer a deeper analysis concerning the content of your material and even rewrite sections where necessary.

If you feel that your work could use the eyes of a professional editor, please contact me and let’s discuss how I may be able to help you.

Sarah Moore is the author’s assistant for Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services. She has nearly a decade of experience in higher education administration, having worked at University of Maryland, Boston University, and Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she taught research and writing courses at these institutions. Sarah also taught high school government and history for several years, and always included a strong emphasis on writing in her students’ assignments. Sarah was raised just outside of Washington, D.C., but has called Nashville home for nearly eight years and enjoys life there with her two young children. http://www.writersinthesky.com

The distance from snap to clink is not very far
You could walk there from here
Snap woke me up about 11 o’clock
To wrench my cell phone away and chuck it to the weeds
Clink showed up later to tell me how it is…
Thank the gods my kids are still sleeping
Snap told her story while I sat on my hands
And the bruises from the kicks still pained me
Clink walked me out to his used paddy wagon
Then cuffed me in front of my neighbor’s house
Snap went to sleep on the California King
With a leather, sleigh-bed frame

Clink drove me down on a two-minute ride
To my one room windowless apartment
The distance from snap to clink is not very far
You could walk there from here

With the Ancients

by John D. Wilkinson

Moonrise at the ‘Weep
is a beautiful sight

The light rolls down the mountainside
and fills up the night

I pull out my stones
to bask in the glow

Praying for guidance
from those in the know

Up with the dawn
I circle the cliffs

With the still morning’s calm
and sweet Juniper whiffs

A red squirrel has scaled
the Old castle wall

To listen for hawks
or maybe a squall

But only mother crow
has come to alight

Drying her feathers
preparing for flight

A young male shows off
his dips and his dives

His circular spans
tracing multiple lives

I see them now together
way up on the breeze

Alone but forever
criss-crossing with ease

Yearning to touch them
to climb up the wind
I run to the Hopi
and find my new end…

Hot Sauce

By John Wilkinson

A nation of habituation
Enlightened by diode
Mother’s and Father’s with children and dogs
Helmets and leashes, electric and otherwise
Everyone has ruptured the bank
Nobody cares
Plowmen run for the fields and miners delve deeper
I see few windmills and solar cells

Shoppers to market with nu-clear plastic
Not hardly
Shuffling forward in clown shoes
Stalking about in heeled boots

Spring promptly fools Winter
Winter cheats Spring Her mountaintops
Oblivious robins taunt the gelid wind
Rugged ruffled breasts and white ringed tails
Catharsis reigns with a cob-webbed scepter
The heartless bow
Old ways thrash about in their shrinking pools
Teeth gnashing at the rapidly drying air
The selfishness of business and parenthood
Addiction and arrogance
Compassion and understanding
Square off on the threshing floors
It is what it is

The balloon-heads of state
All filled with jelly
Expound and rant about the lifting of the veils
It is all too clear the rift is insurmountable

Only stiff wind can erode this false edifice
These ridiculous Doric spindles of marble and gilt
Bullet-proof limos creep along patriotic streets

Hold on folks, hold on

In the ‘cradle’ infants wail
About what
Ten thousand years could not tell the story
Flower sap and sticky hearts

And the blaring boxes go on
Here, there and everywhere
Catching us up
Sweeping out the corners

Old friends reconnect and listen intently
Pretense begins to fade
Means and ends lose their luster
Against the rays of the Sun
Birds chirp and soar
Trees spin their loving branches to the limitless sky
No one asks why
Breath flows in deep and exhales come long and low

The moose are in the local marsh
Up to their kneecaps in the muck
Children point with great excitement
Some fear, some gape in awe

To the salt mines we ramble
Thanking gods and stars
For our enslavement
At least this
Her lithe arm
Draped across my belly
Her essence in my nostrils
Upon my tongue
Like Azorean mist I’ve never tasted
Flavors I long to know
Have always known

Just this

John D Wilkinson II has been living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for thirty-three years and has called Steamboat Springs home for nearly nine of those. His third book, ‘Breakfast Ketchup with Hot Sauce Too.’ has been well-received locally, nationally and overseas. His work is best described as Bukowski meets Silverstein meets Whitman, in a greasy diner with bad service, for a morning palette cleanse. Copies of the book are available at both Epilogue Book Co. (970) 879-2665 and 'OTBP; (970) 879-6830.

Frozen
by Dennis S Martin

Could I but capture this blissful moment
Frozen in time, I would.
Were you to bait my soul to surrender,
It would be well understood.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Did you ever feel like you lived on both sides of a border, an issue, a trend?

1. I love self-publishing because of the absolute finality of the process. At the end, you are left with a book in your hand, one that will probably outlast you and most of the people you know. There aren’t many occupations where you get to leave such a tangible mark, where you can hold the results of your hard work and your investment of time, money and attention.

But . . . when I cruise writer’s websites I’m reminded of just how much I dislike the prejudice that persists in many parts of the publishing world against authors who decide to publisher their own books. Despite the explosive growth of self-publishing, the invasion of a tradition-bound industry by the indie spirit, many writers continue to heap scorn on self-published authors. Even more infuriating is the obvious ignorance about self-publishing that these writers exhibit in their comments.

2. I love the creative expression that self-publishing provides to the entrepreneurial author. It’s an old truism that the power of the press belongs to the person who owns the press. Modern self-publishing has taken this idea to an extreme. Now, you only have to own a computer with an internet connection to “own the printing press.” A writer who wants to share her work with others, or to profit by selling directly to interested readers, has a significant amount of influence that was unavailable before.

But . . . many writers have used this power to publish unreadable, unresearched, and uninteresting books that nobody will read, let alone buy. For many of these books, this didn’t have to happen. Like everyone else, authors can be lazy, prejudiced, inept, or close-minded, and self-publishing brings more of these books into existence.

3. I love how when you self-publish you get to decide what your book is called, what it will cost, what it will look like, when it will be published, and how you will sell it. Do you want a book with a completely black cover, 5″ x 8″ and with 700 pages? Hey, why not? There’s nobody to tell you not to do it, and the expense involved can be held to such a low level that there’s no reason not to experiment with what you think might be of interest to your readers. I love that the freedom to make these decisions is in the hands of authors.

But . . . it amazes me that fear and elitism continue to rule many writers’ ideas about publication. I can’t tell you how often, reading a writer’s blog or a discussion of publishing, that I’ve come across this sentiment: “Well, if I keep getting rejected, it means I’m not ready for publication. Agents and editors are the best judges of what should and shouldn’t be published and, if I never get an acceptance, I’ll just accept that my work was never good enough, and that’s okay with me.” And every time, it leaves me heartbroken.

How did we learn to hand so much power over our creative life to someone else? This kind of respectful timidity has condemned many writers to a life of frustration. I want to grab them by the shoulders, give them a big shake, and tell them “Wake up! It’s not the 19th century any more. Publish your book and let the dictators be damned. If you sell a bunch of copies, they will line up at your door. You are the creative one, you are the content creator, the idea generator. Don’t give up your autonomy so quickly!”
4. I love when there’s a close collaboration between an author and the publishing professionals they bring in to help get their book to market. Skilled editors, designers, printers and marketers in the service of a clear concept and a sound marketing strategy can produce truly unusual and valuable books that might never have seen the light of day from a traditional publisher. I love being involved in these projects, where the author has determined to put out a book that competes with the best books coming from big publishers.But . . . it’s still true that self-publishers can’t match the distribution power of a traditional publishing house, and the entire book distribution system is geared toward only the books of big publishers and well-established niche publishers with a line of books. I hate the way the distribution system works—and I’m not alone on this—to make the bookstores of America into a vast consignment operation, where your book, if it doesn’t sell in a few weeks, is likely to get returned to your warehouse (or your garage) with barely time for the ink to dry.

The “blockbuster” mentality can only work for big companies with deep pockets who are willing to make big bets. The careful, community-nurturing, personal type of publishing that works for self-publishers has virtually no home in the book distribution system, and that’s a shame.

5. I love the digital printing revolution and the print-on-demand distribution model that have produced such big benefits for self-publishers. This technology has allowed thousands of people to publish a book with almost no financial risk, and without the depressing sight of their garage filled with unsold books in aging cardboard cartons.
Print on demand has done more for self-publishing than any other innovation to date, and I love the ability to quickly and economically issue a book. We can respond quickly to events in our niche, or simply experiment with content focus, size, cover graphics and other parts of the product cycle because the risk and financial exposure of printing books has been almost eliminated.But . . . when authors go looking for a way to get their book into print, all too often they are seduced by misleading or downright fraudulent advertising by the industry that’s sprung up to sell services to these authors. So-called “self-publishing companies” sell inflated “packages” of services, of unknown quality to unsuspecting authors who are confused about the process of publishing or unwilling to take the time to educate themselves about the difference between a book printer and a subsidy publisher.

Although there are reputable and enthusiastic subsidy houses if you look for them, the biggest operators seem to capture all the advertising space and media attention, leading even more authors into the clutches of what may well become an expensive, restrictive and frustrating publishing situation that can be hard to disengage from.

6. I love the ability to take ideas you’ve been thinking about for many years and translate them into a medium that can be read and appreciated by any interested person. I love the power it gives to thinkers and writers to spread their concepts and solutions to problems. Without having to survive the rigors of querying agents, or the year or two of waiting until your book comes out, you can take an edited and prepared manuscript to print in a matter of weeks.

But . . . many of the authors who’ve decided to “let someone else do it” and ended up at one of the less palatable subsidy publishers often have reason to regret their decision in the first place. Having dealt with authors who got substandard editing, lackluster book design and book prices that doomed their book as unsaleable, these authors sometimes come to the conclusion that they never should have started at all, and that’s a shame.
Even the self-publishers who want to migrate to a better supplier have a hard time escaping the subsidy publisher when they find out they cannot get their cover artwork, even if they paid for it, or request a PDF of the book interior to use elsewhere, and find their subsidy publisher will only supply them with a “watermarked” version that will need substantial work before it can be used for book production. That’s just mean, and I hate it when it happens to unsuspecting authors whose only crime was to skip a bit of homework, or who got taken in by hyped-up marketing.

What About You?

Having been a self-published author, a publisher of other authors’ books and a book producer designing and helping authors bring their books to market, I’ve seen the best outcomes, and some of the worst. There’s a lot to love about self-publishing, and a lot to hate.

What would you add to my list?

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, a book designer and blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Humans are connected in many ways: the air we breathe, our basic needs and physiology, and energetically/spiritually. No one feels the power of this connection more than the energy-sensitive people, known as empaths, who unknowingly pick up on the detrimental thoughts, feelings, and even the illnesses of others and their environment. Many carry this negativity as if it were their own. In fact, some empaths are so burdened with the energy of others, they are no longer aware of what their own energy feels like. Mysterious illnesses, anxiety attacks, hearing voices, seeing shadows, feeling negative, fearful, anger, or having an impending sense of dread,— you name it, they feel it. And most empathic people have no idea where this stuff is coming from.

“Around your physical body, there is a magnetic shield of energy known as your aura. Its purpose is to provide protection and gather energy and information as you interface with your environment. In grade school, we were taught to keep our hands to ourselves. The same is true with the energy field surrounding our body,” writes Nashville author Yvonne Perry in her new book, WHOSE STUFF IS THIS? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You.“Ideally, your energy field should be kept two to three feet from your body, but many untrained empaths unknowingly allow their aura to extend and blend with the energy fields of others who have lax boundaries around their auras. When empathic people tap into the thoughts or emotional impulses of another person, the intuitive gift of empathy (much stronger than heart-felt compassion) reaches in and absorbs energy in an effort to heal or ‘fix’ whatever is out of sync. In doing so, the empath can become contaminated with unhealthy energy. Unfortunately, most of them do not know how to clear the psychic clutter in their auric field.”

Yvonne is joined by psychotherapist Dr. Caron B. Goode, ED.D., NCC, DAPA to provide a fresh perspective on the psychological aspect of empathy and intuition. “Some of the characteristics that empaths display can also be diagnosed as ADD, agoraphobia, bipolar disorder, or clinical depression,” says Caron. “Most doctors and counselors are not aware that empathy fatigue exists, much less how to treat it, but this intuitive overload is a very real problem to energy-sensitive people.” Caron is the author of Raising Intuitive Children and Kids Who See Ghosts - Guide Them Through Their Fears.

“Yvonne Perry's book thoroughly explains the process of being an empath in today's world. She provides cognitive, emotional, physical, energetic, and spiritual explanations for the origin of deep empathy, while sharing her own amazing story and the stories of others,” says transformational coach Gini Grey. “This book offers an array of powerful techniques to help empathic people create healthy boundaries, stay balanced, and release other people's energy and emotions from their personal space. This book is a must read for anyone and everyone who is sensitive to the thoughts, moods and problems of those around them.” Gini is the author of FROM CHAOS TO CALM: How to Shift Unhealthy Stress Patterns and Create Your Own Balance in Life.

Yvonne is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics. For years she was enmeshed with the dogma of religion that her family and church leaders passed down to her. Before she had a label to put on her empathetic ability, she called herself an intercessor. While praying for others she empathically took on their suffering until it severely challenged her emotional and physical health. Embracing a totally different path and belief system, she now openly uses the gift of empathy to help others heal their lives. See http://WhoseStuffIsThis.com

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Woo Hoo! Within hours of having the e-book version of my book, Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom From the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You, published in Amazon's Kindle Store (http://tinyurl.com/EmpathKindle), I started having sales! I'm so excited about helping people get free of the energetic burdens they've been carrying. With more than two dozen proven and effective ways to clear your energy field, this guide employs empowering, proactive techniques to manage your own energy. With a chapter on the psychology of empathy by Dr. Caron Goode, this book presents the personal story of how I learned to psychically protect myself. The paperback book is available on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/EmpathAmazon just in time for my virtual tour (see tour schedule: http://tinyurl.com/EmpathTour). Read endorsements here: http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/praise-reviews.html

Last fall, the beloved librarian at my grandson's elementary school learned that she had melanoma. I know, that's skin cancer, but for some strange reason, she got melanoma tumors in her lungs and brain. Just before Christmas, her surgeon was able to remove both brain tumors with no complications. Sue is receiving radiation treatment. Some friends set up a Caring Bridge page for her (www.caringbridge.org/visit/suehasse2010)

I know you are asking, "What does this have to do with reading and writing?" She's a librarian! WITS loves librarians! In support of everything that Mrs. Hasse has done for children and helping them learn to love reading, the Kingston Springs community is holding a Beat Cancer Read-a-thon. We hope to raise money by reading 2,500 books between January 17-February 17, 2011. Sponsors can donate money for each book read or by a flat donation. I'm giving $5 per book that my grandson, Sidney, reads. He says he can read five chapter books in one month—pretty ambitious for a 10-year-old boy, but he does come from a family of writers and readers .J I just learned that he is already on his fourth book! If you would like to sponsor Sidney and help his librarian beat cancer, you can send Mary Kelley a check made out to CaringBridge to this address: 1520 CC Rd, Kingston Springs, TN 37082. Email Mary for more info mjkelley@comcast.net. Even if you can't sponsor financially, you can still help Sue by sending her positive energy for healing. Thank you so much.

Minette Riordan has started a membership site called WEB-Women Engaged in Business and is asking for articles on women, business, web-based marketing, etc. There's no payment for being featured on new site, but it might give you a chance for exposure and add to your writing portfolio. Contact Minette@northtexaskids.com for more information.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Nashville, TN, February, 2011— during the month of February Writers in the Sky audiences will enjoy interviews with two autobiography writers. February’s guests open their hearts and their lives to share the wisdom of their experiences in life, in writing, and publishing.

Anjuelle Floyd will be joining Yvonne Perry on Writers in the Sky Podcast February 4, 2011. Anjuelle Floyd is the author of Keeper of Secrets, Translations of an Incident, a collection of interconnected short stories, and a novel, The House, published in October 2010. Anjuelle will be discussing her latest book, The House. While the book focuses on the lives of an African-American family, it brings a common message to every reader regardless of background—we all have emotional stuff to deal with, and until we deal with it, healing cannot occur. How we deal with our baggage sometimes defies logic. Read more about Anjuelle on her Web site: http://www.anjuellefloyd.com/

On February 18, 2011, Vonnie Faroqui will interview author J.C. Knudson about his book, Living the Difference. Knudson is using his autobiographical book as a vehicle to educate society on homosexuality. He is a firm believer that an educated society is a more accepting and understanding society and out of that understanding will eventually follow equality for all. Living the Difference is an enlightening story revealed for people of all ages straight or gay. With all the news coverage recently on gay rights, teen suicides, and the upcoming elections, this book is worth reading, no matter which side of the issues you find yourself.

On February 25, 2011, Writers in the Sky Podcast guest, author Carol Piner will share her autobiography, Evidence of Insanity. This hilarious new book is a jaw dropping, full-speed-ahead romp through the life of a girl in the south. Carol "dances shamelessly" through a maelstrom of events that would . . . bring a man down, but she bounces back and keeps on going. This is an amazingly candid story that will have you laughing and crying at the same time. Carol Piner is a storyteller in the grand-old-southern tradition. Join host Vonnie Faroqui for a visit with the author and discover what it means to be a “tale spinner,” southern style.

About Writers in the Sky: Writers in the Sky blog, podcast, and newsletter is a three-fold production filled with information about writing, publishing, and book publicity created by Yvonne Perry as part of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services.

Writers in the Sky Podcast is a weekly talk show about writing, publishing, and book marketing. Interviews with authors, publishers, and book industry experts. The latest news about books, publishing methods, and marketing techniques.

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Books by Yvonne Perry

If you have had a strange spiritual experience, you will find comfort and information to help make sense of it in this eye-opening book, written by a walk-in to help others understand the soul exchange process and how to integrate higher vibrations that clear energy imprints that are not aligned with love, light, and joy. Learn how to stay centered and actively involved in your personal ascension process as you discover your mission, purpose, and role on Earth.

This book provides the comfort and answers you are looking for to help you process the stages of death and the natural dying process. Topics include insight on hospice and palliative care, signs to look for when death is near, euthanasia and end-of-life decisions, how to deal with the imminent death of a loved one and what to do to help someone peacefully transition to the afterlife. There's even a surprisingly fresh and unexpected look at suicide and the phenomena known as soul exchange or walk-ins.

This collection of body-mind-spirit stories highlights unique lessons about love, acceptance, self-worth, caring for the body, diversity, facing fears, dealing with change, the death of a pet, using spiritual gifts, and understanding mystical gifts most children exhibit.

Archived Issues WITS E-zine

About the E-zine Editor

Yvonne Perry has been publishing WITS Newsletter since 2005. She is a freelance writer and editor, award-winning Amazon.com bestselling author, and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services based in Nashville, Tennessee.

She is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics. Yvonne is available as a keynote speaker on a variety of topics related to spirituality and the writing industry.

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Disclosure in Accordance With FTC Guidelines 16 CFR Part 255 (Effective December 1, 2009): The products promoted on this blog are part of an affiliate program in which the owner is participating. Many of the book reviews are part of a paid promotional service offered by Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services.